Samsung has announced the ISOCELL HP2 camera sensor, less than two weeks before the launch of its Galaxy S23 range.
While Samsung didn’t confirm the 200-megapixel camera sensor would be featuring in its Galaxy S23 Ultra phone — due on February 2 — it seems a sure bet, especially given the final line in its press announcement simply reads: “The Samsung ISOCELL HP2 has entered mass production.”
In addition, Samsung has announced it will open Galaxy Experience Spaces in 24 cities around the world next month, so that potential customers can get their hands on a device and play around with the new camera features.
With such a global push, it seems very unlikely the Korean company wouldn’t be showing off their new 200MP sensor in these new devices.
Samsung has packed 200 million 0.6-micrometer (μm) pixels in a 1/1.3” optical format, the size used in top end 108MP smartphone cameras – meaning the extra oomph won’t result in a bigger camera bump.
The hero of the HP2 is Samsung’s own pixel-binning technology, Tetra2pixel, which simulates different pixel sizes to accommodate varying lighting levels.
Samsung explains: “When in low-lit environments, the sensor transforms either into a 1.2μm 50MP or 2.4μm 12.5MP image sensor by binding four to 16 neighboring pixels. For fuller 8K video, approximately at 33MP, the HP2 switches to 1.2μm 50MP mode to minimize cropping and capture more of the scene. Filming 8K at 30 frames-per-second (fps), a wide field of view along with bigger pixel size can produce sharp cinematic videos.”
Samsung has also introduced its Dual Vertical Transfer Gate (D-VTG) technology, which sharpens pictures washed out by the light.
“In a photo diode within each pixel, a voltage transfer gate is placed on the bottom to transport electrons from the pixels to the logic layer,” the company explains.
“With high precision, D-VTG adds a second transfer gate in the pixel, boosting the pixel’s full-well capacity by more than 33 percent. With more electrons stored and efficient signal transfers, this method can reduce overexposure and enhance color reproduction, especially in bright light conditions.”
The Smart-ISO Pro merges different levels of ISO readouts from a single exposure, allowing the camera to take 12.5MP images and 4K at 60fps video in HDR.
“The Samsung ISOCELL HP2 harnesses Samsung’s high-resolution image sensor technologies and know-how at the cutting edge for epic details,” said JoonSeo Yim, Executive Vice President of Sensor Business Team at Samsung Electronics.
“Our leadership comes from innovative pixel technologies that allow our sensors to go beyond the number and size of pixels. We will continue to open new horizons and solidify our presence in the expanding ultra-high-resolution sensor market.”
With the new Galaxy S23 series announced on February 2 (5am, ADST), we’ll be able to see how all this new technology actually plays out.
